Knuckle-pin retainer for car-couplings.



Il II. MILLIKEN.

KNUCKLE PIN RETAINER FOR CAR COUPLINGS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 5.19I4.

1,148,086. PaIenIed July 27, 1915.

Il lllllllllllllllllllll srarnsra rauen ISAAC I-I. MILLIKEN, OF ASPINWALL, PENNSYLVANIA,'ASSIGNOR` T0 THE MCCONWAY & TORLEY COMPANY, PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OFPENN- SYLVANIA.

KNUCKLE-IEIN RETAINER 'FOR CAR-COUPLINGS.

lSpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 27, 1915.

Application filed May 5, 1914. Serial No. 836,408.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, ISAAC H. MILLIKEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Aspinwall, in the county of Allegheny hand State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Knuckle-Pin Retainers for Car-Couplers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the. same. v

My invention relates to the construction of retaining devices for the pivotJ pins of car coupler knuckles, and is especially di rected to the means for securing and retaining in place that class of knuckle pins which are introduced and withdrawn from beneath the coupler head, as is commonly the case in passenger couplers, and is further especially directed to the prevention of rotation of the pin, whereby the pivotv lugs of the coupler head are relieved from wear produced by the turning of the knuckle pin therein and the wear due to the turning of the knuckle is confined to said pin and knuckle, which are parts that can readily be replaced at comparatively small eX- pense and with little labor and less of time.

To this end the main feature of my invention, generally stated, embraces the combination with a coupler-head and its privh oted knuckle, said coupler-head having guides or slide-ways on its under surface adjacent to the knuckle pin opening thereof, of a knuckle pin for the knuckle, and a slidable support for the knuckle pin, the knuckle pin and slidable support having interlocking parts, the said pin having means for limiting its vertical movement to thereby preserve its engagement with the slidable support, and the slidable support having means for preserving it in proper relation to the coupler head and knuckle pin.

In the drawings chosen for the purpose of illustrating my invention, the scope whereof is pointed out in the claims, Figure l is a front elevation of a coupler embodying my invention, the coupler head being partly broken away to show the relation of the knuckle pin and its slidable support; Fig. 2 is a horizontal, sectional, detail View, taken in the plane of the line 22, Fig. l, showing the slidable support for the knuckle pin in position in the slide-ways of the head; Fig. 3 is a vertical, sectional, detail view of the slidable support and portions of the coupler head and knuckle pin, the view being taken centrally of vthe slidable support in a plane at right angles to that of Fig. 2; and Fig. l is a transverse, sectional detail view of a slide support and portions of the coupler head and knuckle pin, show'- ing a modified form of'knuckle pin and slidable support.

I will now proceed to describe my invention more fully, so that others skilled in the art to which it appertains may apply the same.

In the drawings, A indicates a couplerhead, provided with the usual pivoted knuckle B, and@ indicates the knuckle pin whereby the knuckle is pivoted on the coupler-head.

On the under surface ofthe coupler head and partially surrounding the knuckle pin opening therein are depending flanges or webs the lateral ones whereof are grooved to constitute guide-ways l for the reception of a slidable support D for the knuckle pin,

there being, preferably, an opening la in the rear web or flange to permit the passage of a lug 3 with which the slidable support is provided.

The lower end of the knuckle pin opening 2 adjacent to the plane of the upper surface of the slidable support D is enlarged, as at 2a, to form a recess or counter-sink for the reception of a head or annular shoulder on the lower end of the knuckle pin.

D indicates a slidable support for the knuckle-pin which can be inserted into and withdrawn laterally from the slide-ways l, 1 on the under side of the coupler head adjacent to the knuckle pin opening 2 of the head. Means are provided for retaining the member D in position in the slide-ways l, l; and for this purpose I prefer to form a perforated lug 3 on the rear end of said member D, which lug passes through an opening la in the rear web which connects the laterally disposed webs or flanges in which the guide-ways l, l are formed. The lug 3 is preferably perforated to receive a split key or cotter 4 which serves to prevent accidental movement of the slide D.

The knuckle-pin C is preferably formed at its lower end with a head or annular shoulder 5 which prevents the creeping or rising of the pin and thus preserves the interengaging relation of the latter to the slidable support D. This annular shoulder preferably conforms to the annular countersunk portion 2a of the knuckle-pin opening in the coupler-head.

rILhe lower end of the knuckle-pin and the slidable support D for said pin have interlocking parts of a character which will prevent the rotation of the knuckle-pin in the knuckle-pin receiving apertures of the pivot lugsv of the coupler-head; and such ine terloeking parts are preferably constituted by a rib or spline formed on one member and a corresponding channel formed in the other member.

The rib or spline on the upper surface of the slide or supporting member D extends in the direction of the guideways 1, l, as indicated at 6 in Figs. l, 2, and 3 of the drawings, and the corresponding channel is formed in the lower end of the knuckle pin C, as indicated at 7 in said figures; but this arrangement may be reversed, if desired, the channel being formed in theslidable support, as shown at 7 in Fig. l of the drawings, and the rib or spline being formed on the lower end of the knuckle pin as indicated at 6 in Fig. 4L.

The coacting coupler head and knuckle are readily assembled or dissociated when the coupler is in position beneath the car platform by inserting the knuckle pin into or removing it from the knuckle pin openings from below; as the case may be, the knucklepin supporting slide D being introduced into and secured in the guide-ways l, l when the knuckle pin has been inserted, or having been lirst released and withdrawn when the knuckle pin is to be removed. When the knuckle pin is in position in the pivot lugs of the coupler-head and the slidable support D is in assembled position, the head or annular shoulder 5 on the lower end of the knuckle-pin C, by engaging the coupler head, will prevent the upward movement of the knuckle-pin, thereby maintaining the lower end of the latter in engagement with the rib or spline 6 upon the slidable support D; and this interlocking engagement of the slidable support and knuckle-pin prevents the rotation of the knuckle-pin and obviates wear and consequent enlargement of the lniuekle-pin holes in the pivot lugs of the coupler head.

I claim:

The combination with a coupler -head having a pin-hole which is countersunk at its lower end and having guide-ways on its under surface, of a knuckle, a knuckle-pin having an annular shoulder at its lower end, and a support for the knuckle-pin slidably mounted in said guide-ways, said support and said knuckle-pin having interiitting engagement formed by a rectangular rib and a channel of corresponding cross-sectional form.

In testimony whereof l affix my signature, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ISAAC H. MILLKEN.

lVitnesses:

J. WV. HARTLEY, J. H. Swnssn.

Copies of this patent may he obtained for ve cents each, ,by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

